hb 0914 02 (deckman manual)

8/3/2019 HB 0914 02 (Deckman Manual)

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MANUAL

Deckman


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Deckman

User Manual

Premier WayAbbey Park, Romsey

Hampshire, SO51 9DH, UK

www.BandG.com

B&G Ltd. 2005

The copyright of this manual is the property of B&G Ltd.

HB-0914-02


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ii

Intentionally Left Blank


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iii

Trademarks

All rights reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in

any form or by any means including photocopying and recording, for any

purpose without the express written permission of B&G.

Information in this document is subject to change without notice. B&G reserves

the right to change or improve its products and to make changes in the content

without obligation to notify any person or organisation of such changes.

B&G, Deckman, Wave Technology Processor and WTP are all trademarks of

Brookes & Gatehouse Ltd., and may not be used without the express

permission of Brookes and Gatehouse Ltd.

SHOM tidal information SHOM 2003. Reproduced with the permission ofthe Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service - France Contract no E32/2003 -

www.shom.fr

The French Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (SHOM) have not

verified the data contained in this product and does not take responsibility for

their accuracy of reproduction or freedom from modification.

The possession of this product from SHOM does not remove the obligation to

use appropriate nautical documentation as required by national andinternational regulations.


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iv

Product Liability and Safety Warnings

Product Liability

Brookes and Gatehouse Ltd. accept no responsibility for the use and/or

operation of Deckman. It is the users responsibility to ensure that under all

circumstances the product is used for the purposes for which it has beendesigned.

Warning - Calibration

The safe operation of Deckman is dependent on accurate and correct

calibration. Incorrect calibration of this product may lead to false and

inaccurate navigational readings placing the yacht into danger.

Warning Dongle Security

The Dongle is a security device that renders the software inoperable when not

plugged into the computer. As such, the Dongle is of significant importance

and care must be taken to ensure that it does not become lost or stolen.

Replacement of a Dongle will require the full purchase cost of Deckman, as

well as the cost of any charts that may have been purchased to run with

Deckman.

It is recommended that all original CDs, chart codes and user documentation

be kept together to allow the simple re-installation in the event of a fault

occurring with your computer.

To facilitate the upgrade process of Deckman, or to purchase new charts, record

the Dongle Serial Number below:

Dongle Serial Number:


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v

Preface

This manual is written in two parts: the first is a general introduction to

Deckman. The second section contains instructions on how to use Deckman.

Part 1: In the first chapter, a general overview of the Deckman displayscreen is given with descriptions of the various parts.

Part 2: This section deals with the operation of Deckman. The firstchapters cover the installation and general use of Deckman. After

this, there are chapters dealing with specific features.

The manual includes a full Contents and Index. Since many things are referred

to in more than one place, it is advisable to check these if the information you

need is not immediately obvious.


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vii

ContentsChapter 1 : Deckman Introduction_______ 1.1

Chapter 2 : Getting Started ____________ 2.1

Deckman Installation......................................................................2.1

Installing charts ..............................................................................2.2

Connecting to the Instruments .......................................................2.7Direct connection of GPS...............................................................2.9

Show incoming data .......................................................................2.9

Deckman re-installation over an existing version ........................2.9

Chapter 3 : Navigation ________________ 3.1

Introduction.....................................................................................3.1

Simulation .......................................................................................3.3

Selecting a route .............................................................................3.4

Quick route......................................................................................3.6

Sailing the course ...........................................................................3.7

Set DR position ...............................................................................3.9

List Route.........................................................................................3.10

What If? ...........................................................................................3.11

Planning ..........................................................................................3.14

Edit Marks.......................................................................................3.20

Tides ................................................................................................3.21

Navigation options..........................................................................3.25


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viii

Display time ....................................................................................3.28

General Layers ...............................................................................3.28

Chart options ..................................................................................3.30

Chart Layers ...................................................................................3.31

Zoom................................................................................................3.33

Special chart views .........................................................................3.34

Chapter 4 : Start display ______________ 4.1

Start information.............................................................................4.2Setting the start ...............................................................................4.3

Set windward/leeward ....................................................................4.5

Start options....................................................................................4.6

Start countdown..............................................................................4.6

Hold wind ........................................................................................4.7

Wind calibration .............................................................................4.8

Advanced options............................................................................4.8

Chapter 5 : Data_____________________ 5.1

Time plot..........................................................................................5.1

Wind Plot.........................................................................................5.2

Data Log..........................................................................................5.4

Boat parameters..............................................................................5.8

Extract logged data ........................................................................5.11

Speed Test .......................................................................................5.12

Show Data .......................................................................................5.15

Data averages .................................................................................5.20


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ix

User variables.................................................................................5.20

Chapter 6 : Polars____________________ 6.1Understanding Polars ....................................................................6.1

Managing polars.............................................................................6.4

Chapter 7 : Instruments_______________ 7.1

Configure comms ............................................................................7.1

WTP system .....................................................................................7.2

h2000 Performance Unit................................................................7.7

NMEA FFD/h1000 .........................................................................7.10

Ockam Instruments .........................................................................7.11

Silva NMEA.....................................................................................7.12

NKE NMEA .....................................................................................7.13

NMEA Instrument System ..............................................................7.15

Chapter 8 : Wind calibration ___________ 8.1

Wind shear ......................................................................................8.1

Wind speed and Wind angle...........................................................8.1

Chapter 9 : Wind and current forecasts ___ 9.1

GRIB viewer....................................................................................9.1

Downloading GRIB forecasts ........................................................9.4

GRIB tools.......................................................................................9.8

Making wind or current Grids .......................................................9.11

GRIB routing...................................................................................9.18


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x

Chapter 10 : Competitors______________ 10.1

Time-on-time handicap ..................................................................10.1

Plotting competitors' positions ......................................................10.3

Chapter 11 : Networking ______________ 11.1

Using the networked version..........................................................11.1

Setup ................................................................................................11.2

Two-boat telemetry across a network ...........................................11.4

Chapter 12 : Deckman files ____________ 12.1

deckman.ini .....................................................................................12.1

Data files .........................................................................................12.5

j_varsXX.d.......................................................................................12.7

User variables.................................................................................12.13

Example J_varsXX file ...................................................................12.27


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Deckman Introduction

1.1

Chapter 1 : Deckman Introduction

Congratulations and thank you for choosing B&G Deckman, the worldsmost advanced race navigation software. Deckman represents B&Gs

commitment in providing software of the highest quality and

performance.

To get the most from Deckman, take the time to carefully read this user

manual so that you can fully appreciate its functionality.

Figure 1.1 shows a typical Deckman display and the table overleaf

describes the functions of the labelled parts:

Figure 1.1


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Chapter 1: Deckman Introduction

1.2

Data bar shows the value of any variable. You can select whichvariables you want displayed: simply click on the top

half of a particular box and choose from the menu. You

can display either the present or damped value (time

specified in minutes; variable is shown underlined):

choose when first selecting variables, or change byclicking on a displayed variable and then enter the

averaging time. You can also arrange variables in the

data bar using drag and drop.

A new line of data boxes will appear when the last boxon the previous line is filled, so make sure this is left

empty if you do not want a new line of boxes.

Can be toggled on and off by selecting

menu>view>Data Bar.

Tool bar gives shortcuts to frequently used tools.

Icon bar clicking on an icon will either access a display window

or provide a menu.

Status bar bar along the bottom of the display. Shows the latitudeand longitude of the present position of the cursor and

also the range and bearing from the boat to the cursor

(right hand side).

Also provides information about the effects of some

menu choices when the cursor is held over them (left

hand side).

Can be toggled on and off by selecting

menu>view>Status Bar.

When using the program it is generally found best to have it set up with

the main Navigation window covering the majority of the display.

Behind this, but accessible, you could have things such as What If?,

Planning and a wind plot, as in Figure 1.1. That way, you can always see

your position on a chart, but are able to get to other information as andwhen required.


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Deckman Introduction

1.3

Clicking menu>refresh updates the display, thus getting rid of old or

unwanted lines or marks. If, for example, you want to view only the

isochrones from the present plan, this is a useful function.

Throughout this manual, bold text is used when optionssuch as menu

choicesare referred to. The > symbol is used when menu selections

are being discussed. For instance, menu>zoom>from boat to mark

would mean clicking on menu on the Icon bar and then selecting the

zoom option from the pop-up menu, followed by from boat to mark

this is illustrated in Figure 1.2. Information regarding the effect of aparticular command can be seen in the status bar.

Shortcuts

The following shortcut keys are available in Deckman:

F2 Next waypoint

Sh+F2 Previous waypoint

Figure 1.2


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Chapter 1: Deckman Introduction

1.4

F6 Wind plot

F7 Start display

F8 Navigation display

F9 Next window (the least recently used of all the

windows currently open in Deckman)

Sh+F9 Previous window (the most recently used of all the

windows currently open in Deckman)

Hint: using the F9 and Sh+F9 allows you to toggle between two

windows.


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Deckman Installation

2.1

Chapter 2 : Getting Started

Deckman InstallationAs previously mentioned, there are currently two versions of Deckman

that support either the C-Map or Euronav charting systems. The installfor each version varies slightly as detailed below.

Install Deckman by running the SetupDeckman.exe installation

program on the CD-ROM. Note that for a Euronav version, there are

two parts to the installation: Deckman itself and the Euronav Charting

System (ECS).

Deckman requires a security device known as a dongle, and this will

need to be connected to either the parallel or USB port of your computer

before you go any further. Having connected the dongle, run Deckman

from the Startbutton. At this point Deckman should recognize this is anew installation and put up a dialog asking you to install the driver for

the dongle: the installation procedure is slightly different for the two

different types of dongle, but for both simply follow the on-screenprompts.

If installing a C-Map version, then the necessary drivers will be found

on the Deckman CD so you simply tell Windows to search on your CDdrive. The Euronav dongle drivers are installed onto your hard drive

with the ECS.

Once you have installed the dongle drivers it may be necessary to restartyour computer.

Start Deckman again. The program will now go through the complete

startup routine, and then ask you for a 16-digit security code enter the

code you have been supplied, then click OK. You should then see the

navigation window with some initial waypoints in the English Channel.


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Chapter 2: Getting Started

2.2

Installing chartsDeckman works with a variety of different chart formats, both raster and

vector, and the installation of each is slightly different, so make sure yourefer to the correct section below. If installing ARCS or Livecharts then

this can be done from within Deckman (assuming you are using

Deckman version 4 or later). For C-Map and Maptech charts (BSB, PCX

or REML formats) the installation is done without Deckman running.

When you first start the program after installing new charts the effect of

updating the chart folio may not be immediately apparent because the

supplied charts do not cover the area of the English Channel occupied

by the default waypoints. Use the zoom out tool: this works in theopposite way to zoom inthe image you are looking at now will be

zoomed to fit the rectangle which you define by clicking and dragging.

Then use the panning tool (the hand) and drag to different areas of the

chart.

Note. For Maptech charts, special action is required (see below).

C-Map

The installation of C-Map charts is via a separate CD which should have

been supplied with Deckman. Note that you will need this CD to do anyfurther chart installations, so make sure you keep it in a safe place. In

addition, there are different CDs for different parts of the world so you

may need more than one. Contact your agent or B&G if necessary.

Insert the CD into the drive. It should Autorun, but if not selectsetup.exe from the NT/PC Selector folder. Follow the on-screen

instructions to install the C-Map NT/PC Chart Selector program, andthen run this program. This program then contains everything you need

to browse the charts, select the ones you wish to install and order from

C-Map. Once you have completed the process, close the Chart Selector

program, run Deckman in the normal way and the charts will be seen in

the appropriate areas.


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Installing charts

2.3

Livecharts

With Deckman version 4 or later, the complete catalogue of Livecharts

is supplied on the program CD. Charts can then be enabled by obtainingan unlock code from your local agent or B&G.

For help in choosing the charts you require, view the chart catalogue:

open Deckman, select menu>charts>chart interaction to stop the

regular Deckman display updating and instead interact directly with thecharting package.Hold down the right mouse button until a popup menu

appears. Select Properties>Chart Settings (Global). Check the View

box in the Chart catalog viewing and then click OK. Select Livecharts

followed by OK and you will be presented with a toolbar that enablesyou to view details about different charts.

When you know the charts you wish to use, contact your local agent or

B&G to obtain the unlock codes. Once you have the necessary codes,

run the Unlock.exe program on your distribution CD from WindowsExplorer. The path for this is:

D:\Livechart Archive\unlock (where 'D' is your CD drive)

The paths for the location of the charts on your CD and the desired

destination should be displayed correctly automatically, but if not setthese as follows:

Install charts

from

D:\Livechart Archive\charts\live_b (where 'D'

is your CD drive)

Install charts

to

C:\Charts\Live_b (where 'C' is the drive where

Deckman is installed)

For each chart you wish to install enter the unlock code (which will be

supplied in four groups of characters) into the four boxes marked Code

1, Code 2 etc and the name (e.g. BA2045) into the fifth box (if

installing a folio of charts leave the final box empty). This procedure

must be repeated for all the charts you wish to install.


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2.4

The next step is to tell the program where to find the charts. Choosemenu>charts>chart settings. A dialog will pop up giving you all of the

options for controlling the appearance of the charts. Select the ChartDirectories tab and set the directory forLivecharts - Vector by hitting

the Browse button. Move to the correct directory and then choose theSelect Path button. The path for Livecharts should be:

C:\Charts\Live_b (where 'C' is the drive where Deckman is installed; if

you specified an alternative destination for the charts in the Installcharts tobox above, this should be entered here)

Note If using versions 3 or earlier, the installation for Livecharts is asfollows.

Close Deckman, enter the CD-ROM (or diskette) into the drive and

follow the installation procedure. If you are prompted for a filename

then use the 8 character names as follows:

progra~1\BandG\deckman\charts\live_b. When you have finished,

restart Deckman and select menu>charts>update folio to update the

chart folio.

ARCS charts

Deckman needs to be running for this installation. The first task is toinstall the permits: put the permits floppy disk into the disk drive then

choose menu>chart>install chart and you will be presented with a

series of dialogs which help you do the installation.

Choose Yes to install new permits

Choose Skipperpermits

Install permits from disk

Choose the PRESS to Install Permits button, then Next.

Now you will be asked to insert the CD-ROM (the CHART CD-ROM

not the UPDATE). Select the PRESS to start installation button for the

install to begin. In the summary information you will see that some of

the charts require an update; after you have hit the Nextbutton you will


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Installing charts

2.5

be asked to insert the UPDATE CD-ROM. After clicking Finish you

will be asked to update the folio again.

The next step is to tell the program where to find the charts. Choosemenu>charts>chart settings. A dialog will pop up giving you all of the

options for controlling the appearance of the charts. Select the Chart

Directories tab and set the directory forHCRF - Raster by hitting the

Browse button. Move to the correct directory and then select the Select

Path button. The path for ARCS charts should be:

C:\Charts\ARCS (where 'C' is the directory where Deckman is installed)

Maptech charts

When using BSB, PCX or REML charts it is advised that these are

copied onto the hard drive of your computer. It is possible to run

Maptech charts directly from a CD-ROM, but Deckman will operatemuch more quickly if the charts are read from the hard drive. If you

wish to read the Maptech charts directly from a CD, then go straight toUpdating the Folio below. In this case the path to specify will be a

folder on your CD.

If you wish to run the Maptech charts from your hard drive, copy the

charts into a folder in the top level of the drive in which you installed theprogram, for instance:

Chart type Directory (where 'C' is the drive where the program is

installed

BSB C:\BSBChart

PCX C:\PCX952 (see below for more information)REML C:\REMLChart

For BSB and REML charts simply copy the required charts into thefolder and then go to Updating the Foliobelow.

For PCX charts, the simplest thing to do is to copy the entire contents of

the CD into a folder in the top level of the drive on which Deckman is

installed. It is advised that this folder is called something like PCXnnn

(where nnn is a reference number from the particular CD: if installing


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2.6

charts from a number of different CDs, it is advised that these be

installed into different folders each with appropriate names/numbers for

recognition).

However, if you are short of memory space on your hard drive, it is

possible to copy only certain charts. This is more complicated because

of the way Deckman interacts with the PCX chart format. Each chart is

stored in a folder which has a corresponding chart header in the folder

Charthdr on the CD-ROM. Both of these sections are required by

Deckman and must be stored in the same structure as on the CD. You

must therefore create a subfolder named Charthdr within thePCXChart folder on your hard drive. The required chart headers fromthe Charthdr folder on the CD must then be copied into here with the

corresponding chart folders copied into the main PCX folder on your

Figure 2.1


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Connecting to the Instruments

2.7

hard drive. An example of what a PCX folder might look like is shown

in Figure 2.1.

Updating the Folio

Once all the required charts have been copied, run Deckman, select

menu>charts>use Maptech charts and then check the Use Maptech

charts in preference to others box to switch to using Maptech charts.Select menu>charts>update chart folio and you will be presented with

a dialog in which you must specify the locations of the Maptech charts.

Click Add and then browse through the tree structure to specify the

directories in which the Maptech charts are installed. Once you have

specified the directories for all the Maptech charts you have loaded,clickUpdate and you will see Deckman running through all the charts.

Note. For PCX charts, select the Charthdr folder as the path.

Connecting to the InstrumentsInitially Deckman uses the simulated yacht instruments which enable

you to learn to use the program without having to be on the yacht. To

change to use the boat instruments go to gmenu>change instrumentsand you will be presented with a dialog so that you can select your

instrument type. After clicking on OK you will be asked to set up the

communications (for further details see Part 2, Chapter 7 on

Instruments).

Select the COM port which is connected to your instrument system

(usually COM1 or COM2 but Deckman can use any port up to COM10).Then set the protocol according to the table below.

B&G

WTP

Performance

Processor

NMEA Ockam

Baud rate 9600 9600 4800 4800

Parity NONE EVEN NONE NONE

Data bits 8 7 8 8

Stop bits 1 2 1 1


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2.8

Note. For connection to an NMEA FFD, h1000 or Silva NMEA, the

connections are the same as for NMEA.

When you have specified the correct settings, click Next to specify thesettings for your GPS (see below).

Note. To operate a working version in demonstration mode so that it

may be used without a dongle see deckman.ini in Chapter 12.

Wiring

The following table details the connections between different instrument

systems and Deckman:

Performance

Processor

Ockam 9-pin to

Deckman

Instrument ground 11 7 black 5

Instrument transmit 10 3 green 2

Instrument receive 9 2 blue 3

join 7-8join 4-6,

7-8

Note. The instrument transmit is connected to receive on your computer

and vice versa.

Setting up the instruments

You must configure your instrument system so that it outputs

information in the correct format for Deckman.

Performance Processor

You must set the system to 9600 baud, EVEN parity, 7 data bits and 2

stop bits.

On an FFD, select waypoint>cross tr on one section of the display, andcalibrate>cal val1 on the other. Set the value to 0.


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Direct connection of GPS

2.9

Now select waypoint>cross tr on one section of the display, andcalibrate>cal val2 on the other. Set the value to 6.2.

Ockam

To set the Ockam RS232 interface to 4800 baud, NO parity, 8 data bits

and 1 stop bit, set both switches A and B to 9.

Direct connection of GPSIt is possible to connect your GPS directly to Deckman. The main

advantage of this is that you can easily see if you lose GPS signal for

any reason and Deckman may also receive the GPS data at a higherfrequency.

After clicking Next to setup the communications with the instruments,you will be presented with a dialog which controls how your GPS is

connected. Select Instrument System if your GPS is connected via your

instruments orDeckman for a direct connection, followed by Finish.

Show incoming data

After you have connected and correctly configured your instruments,and possibly GPS (if going directly to Deckman as described above),

you may wish to check that the instrument data is being received by

Deckman. Clickgmenu>show incoming data, select eitherInstrument

Data orGPS Data followed by Start. You should then see the data in

the window of this dialog.

Deckman re-installation over an existing

version

Note. This section should be skipped if NOT installing over an existing

version.

With Deckman running and with an instrument system connected,choose gmenu>configure comms and make a note of the settings in the

Communications dialog. For the old style dongle (serial number

beginning 1071) you must also make a note of parameters: in Notepad

open the Deckman.ini file (see deckman.ini in Chapter 12) and notethe [livechart] path. Close Notepad.


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2.10

Next, you must remove the existing version. Select the Start button and

then Settings>Control Panel>Add/Remove Programs. For Euronav

versions, both Deckman Vn.n (where n.n is the version number) andEuronav Charting System must be uninstalled.

Run Windows Explorer and make copies of following files in the Data

subdirectory (see page 12.5) to somewhere other than the Deckman

directory:

Adjvt.d wind speed calibration

adjwa.d wind angle calibration

bgbounds.d B&G instruments data bounds

Bgcalib.d Calibration

Bgdamp.d Damping

bgout.d

databar.d Data bar settings

diamonds.d Tidal stream data

j_nav28.d Layers information

j_way.d Waypoints file Navpol.d Navigation polar

Ockcalib.d Ockam instruments Calibration

Ockdamp.d Damping

ockoptn.d Options

ockout.d Output

Perfpol.d Performance polar

report.d Reports file

shore.d Shoreline information

Startpol.d Start polar

Tides.d Tidal heights data

Once all these files are backed up, delete the Deckman directory (before

doing this, it is just worth checking that no charts have been installedhere: chart directories should be as described in Installing Charts

above).


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Deckman re-installation over an existing version

2.11

Install Deckman by running the SetupDeckman.exe installation

program on the CD-ROM. There will be two sections to the installation:

Deckman and the Euronav Charting System which is automatic afterDeckman.

Once installation is complete, if using an old dongle (SN beginning

1071), you must set the [livechart] path in the Deckman.ini file to that

noted above.

Copy the files you backed up above into the new Data directory,

overwriting the files that have been installed with the new installation.

The remainder of the installation is as normal (as described at the

beginning of this chapter). Run Deckman and connect to the appropriate

instrument system. Select gmenu>configure comms and set the

Communications protocol as noted in the first step.


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Introduction

3.1

Chapter 3 : Navigation

IntroductionWhen you first run Deckman you will see a display something like that

shown below in Figure 3.1

The best way to get to know how the program works is to runSimulation (see next page). Here you can practice and start to get to

grips with some of the functions before trying to use them under

pressure! If not already in Simulation mode select gmenu>change

instruments and then check the Simulation box.

Figure 3.1


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Chapter 3: Navigation

3.2

The numeric keypad

Whenever Deckman expects you to enter a numeric value a keypad will

appear like the example in Figure 3.2. The number you enter is shown atthe top in larger size; a message is shown below which usually gives the

current value.

The keys down the right have the following functions:

Escape: this exits without making any changes

Backspace: deletes the last digit entered

Minus: makes any value entered negative. For

inputting West longitudes or South latitudes as

these are both considered negative on Deckman.

Enter or Return: tells Deckman to accept thevalue entered

Figure 3.2


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Simulation

3.3

SimulationWhen Simulation is running Deckman generates instrument data that

you can use to practice running the other displays. In Simulation modeyou can only control the boat's heading and the true wind

speed/direction. Deckman then uses these to calculate boat speed and all

the other variables.

As you will not be connected to any position fixer, such as GPS, when

running in Simulation mode you will have to use Deckman's dead

reckoning (DR) capabilities to set the position of the boat. This will be

done automatically when you start the program.

When using DR, position is updated regularly according to the boat's

speed and course and the tidal information. The DR position can also be

set manually to the position of a mark or by specifying a latitude and

longitude. The most useful function (especially in Simulation mode) is

menu> waypoint>set DR>DR at waypoint to put the boat at the first

mark. See Set DR position (on page 3.9) for more details on this.

To change the boat's heading or control the wind, choose

gmenu>instruments control and you will be presented with thefollowing dialog:

Figure 3.3


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3.4

The left pane controls the wind: click on a box to input the desired

value. IfAdd wind shifts is checked then Deckman will add changes in

both wind speed and direction.

On the right you can control the boat's heading: click on the box where

the present heading is displayed, (000 in the example), input the new

heading on the numeric keypad and then hit the Enter key.

After you have made the desired changes hit OK. The Data bar gives

you the option of viewing any of the variables from the database. Click

one of the boxes when highlighted with the cursor over it and select a

variable to be displayed from the list.

In some ways running Deckman Simulation mode is actually harder thanwhen it is being fed data by a real instrument system on board as you

have to alter the boat's heading (as described above) rather than this

being done by the helmsman. It does, though, provide an excellent way

to learn how to use the program.

Selecting a routeBefore the race begins you will set up a route by choosing marks from

the waypoint list, then during the race you only have to instruct

Deckman to go on to the next waypoint and all of the calculations will

be done with respect to the new mark. Deckman does not automatically

advance to the next waypoint on a route when the current waypoint is

reached.

The list of waypoints is divided into named sectors. The purpose of this

is to divide up the waypoints to make them easier to manage when

sailing in different places. When you first get Deckman you will findthat there are sectors named Triangle, Solent_A-M, Solent_M-Z,

Channel, Fastnet, Nioulargue, Porto Cervo, qkroute (these refer to

Quick route, see next page); if you are sailing in any of these areas this

list will cover most of the marks neededthough of course we take no

responsibility for their accuracy. However, if you are sailing in anotherarea then you will need to enter you own lists as described later in Edit

Marks (page 3.20). In addition you should also have entered subsidiary

marks which, though not marks of the course, are nevertheless useful as


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Selecting a route

3.5

reference points on the plotrocks and positions marking channels for

example. Sometimes it is useful to make one of these marks a mark of

the course because then you can relate laylines to that point and thesewill help in making tactical decisions regarding the course to sail.

To create a route select menu>waypoints>make route or click on the

icon (shown left) on the tool bar. When you open the display you see the

names of all the waypoint areas and below a list of waypoints in the area

selected; click the arrows next to the name to move to a new sector. You

can alter the order in which the waypoints appear: clicking on sorted

will display the waypoints alphabetically, whilst unsorted will show

them in the order they were entereduseful if this is the order they willbe needed in a particular race.

To make a route click on the waypoints from the lists in the order of the

course beginning with the start mark. Those selected will then be

displayed in the Routebox on the right of the window; highlight in theRoute box and clickdelete to remove. Also shown will be a letter P or S

indicating the direction of roundinghighlight a waypoint and clickswitch rnd to change this. If the start and finish are the same you do not

need to select the finish because Deckman treats routes as circular: when

it gets to the end it goes back to the beginning again.

The first sector in the list, Triangle, is a special list: in many races youhave a triangular course, or some marks which will be set by the

committeealmost certainly a leeward mark at the start, and often an

initial windward markand to make it easy to set up triangular courses

Deckman has special facilities to set a wing mark and a mark half way

up the windward leg by simply specifying the range and bearing of thewindward mark from the leeward mark. In addition, the positions of

each end of the start line (see Setting the start on page 4.3) are stored in

this sector so you can use these as marks of the course.

Note. Do not remove the Triangle sector from the list.


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3.6

Note. You can edit the Triangle sector and change the names (to use a

language other than English, say) but do not change the order of these

waypointsDeckman positions all the marks for triangular courses byusing the order of waypoints.

Quick routeSelecting menu>waypoints>quick route or clicking on the icon shown

on the tool bar allows you to choose a route by setting marks using the

position of the mouse. It is also possible to include fixed marks in a

Quick Route simply hold the cursor near an existing mark (it will turn

red) and then click the left mouse button.

Once you make the selection the cursor will be accompanied by a box

containing the range and bearing of the position of the cursor from either

the boat (if the first mark) or from the previous waypoint. The value

beside Total at the bottom of the box shows the total distance in the

present quick route.

Click the mouse at the position you wish to set each mark and then

double click at the final mark. You will then be given the following

options:

Repeat allows you to repeat the above process

save asmarks

puts the positions of the marks you've created intothe waypoints file, where they can be edited or

used in routes as normal.

save as route turns the quick route into the present route, inwhich case it will operate as usual.

With either of the second two options, the marks will be given thenames 'q1, q2....' etc though these can be changed to something moremeaningful in the Edit Marks window (see page 3.20).

Note. While the Quick Route option is turned on, you are still able to

zoom in and out. You can, therefore, zoom in to see the position of a

mark accurately and then zoom out again to set the next mark.


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Sailing the course

3.7

The Quick Route facility also allows you another way to set the

positions of waypoints (see also Sailing the Course below). Click on the

Quick Route icon, point the cursor at the waypoint you wish to move (itwill turn red). Hold down the left mouse button and drag to the required

position. If you are moving a quick waypoint (q1, q2 etc), then the

waypoint will be moved; if you try to move a fixed mark, then a new

waypoint will be created in the position you drag to with a Quick Route

name.

You are also able to add or remove waypoints from the current routeusing the Quick Route facility. To add a waypoint to the current route,

select the Quick Route icon and then point the cursor at the waypointafter which you want to add the new mark (it will turn red). Without

clicking the mouse button, move the cursor to where you want the new

waypoint and double click, followed by save as route. To remove a

waypoint, select the Quick Route icon and then highlight the waypoint

you wish to remove from the route (it will turn red). Hold down the left

mouse button and drag the waypoint to either the previous or next

waypoint, release the mouse button.

Sailing the courseAll of the above preparation should ideally happen before the race

begins; during the race you then just instruct Deckman to go to the next

waypoint and all calculations will be done with respect to the new mark

(the name of the present leg is shown in the box at the top of the

display):

(F2)

next waypointclicking on this means all

calculations are made with respect to the

next waypoint.

(Shift F2)

previous waypointall calculations aremade with respect to the previous

waypoint.


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3.8

There are, however, ways of changing the position of the current

waypoint to make it fit in with your observations once you start racing.

Choosing menu>waypoints>set waypointor by clicking on the iconshown left on the tool bargives you a number of methods to set/adjust

the position of the current waypoint (usually, these would only be used

with the movable marks in the triangle sector, as the fixed marks

shouldn't normally move!):

to boat sets the position of the current waypoint to the position of the boat. For example, when

rounding a particular mark for the first time or

to set the start mark.drag current

waypoint

allows you to highlight and then click-and-drag

and current waypoint only to a new position.

Once you release the mouse button, you will be

asked to confirm the move.

Ww/Lw from

windward

sets the position of the leeward mark and finish

line by range and bearing from the windward;

brings up a dialog exactly the same as that

shown under Set windward/leeward (seeSetting the start on page 4.3) except the

bearing you set in the top box is from the

windward to the leeward mark.

triangle from

lee

you position the windward mark by entering a

range and bearing from the leeward.

RB from prevWP

set the position of the current waypoint as arange and bearing relative to the previous mark.

RB from boat set the position of the current waypoint as a

range and bearing from the boat.


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Set DR position

3.9

Laser RBfrom boat

as above. For use with a laser range finder.

triangle frommid

set the position of the current waypoint as arange and bearing relative to the mid mark

by lat, long allows you to specify a latitude and longitude

Make sure that the waypoint you wish to position is the one currently

selectedits name should be at the top of the navigation display. If used

to set the windward and leeward marks in a triangular course then not

only will the positions of these be changed, but the gybe and mid markswill also be set.

Set DR positionChoosing menu>waypoints>set DR position allows you to set your

dead reckoning position by one of three methods:

DR at WP sets DR position to the position of the current

waypoint. This is particularly useful in Simulationmode when, having set up a course, you can put the

boat at the position of the first mark.

DR atGPS

puts the dead reckoning position to the current GPSposition. Especially useful to set a DR immediately

if the GPS fails.

DR bylat, long

allows you to input your own dead reckoningposition. This will generally only be used if running

Deckman after a GPS failure.


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3.10

List Route

Clicking route on the icon bar brings up a window containinginformation about the current route, as well as your present latitude and

longitudesee Figure 3.4.

Three different positions are shown at the top of the window:

DR dead reckoningcalculated from the speed and bearing

received from the instruments

EP estimated positionDR position adjusted for whichever

current is selected in Use Current in the Navigationoptions window (see page 3.21).

PF position as read from the position fixer, usually GPS.

Beneath this is a list of the marks showing on the first line of each entry

the range and bearing from either the boat if it is the first waypoint, or

from the previous mark. The second line has a letter (either P or S)indicating the direction of rounding, followed by the latitude and

longitude of the mark from the waypoint file.

Figure 3.4


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What If?

3.11

Figure 3.5

What If?This displays all the information you might need for any of the legs of

the course, using either the present information from the instrumentsystem, or any other data you enter. This is what is meant by What

If?you can introduce any wind direction, speed, tidal component, etc.

that you like to see what impact it would have on any leg of the course.

Choose what iffrom the icon bar to bring up the windowan example

is shown in Figure 3.5.

The boxes on the left of the window allow you to move between legs of

the course:

next leg

Previous leg

Present leg


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3.12

There are three rows of boxes to allow you to control the information

used in the What If? calculations (values in the example in brackets):

C to make Course to make to the mark

Left Distance to the mark (2.40)

Middle Bearing to the mark (255)

Right Automatic update or fixed (A)

grnd wind Ground wind

Left Ground wind speed (19.4)

Middle Ground wind direction (74)Right Automatic update or fixed (A)

current Water current flow

Left Water current speed (1.2)

Middle Water current direction (260)

Right Automatic update or fixed (F)

Click on any box to input a value you wish to try. The right hand

column of boxes read either F or A and show whether the value has beenfixed (F) by your entering a value or is being automatically updated (A)

by the instruments. Initially, all will read A but will switch to F if a

value is entered. Clicking on the A/F box allows you to switch between

your values and those from the instruments.

Note. Any changes made here affect only the What If? function; they do

not affect the Navigation display.

The bottom part of the display contains the calculated leg informationfor each tack, or for one tack if it is a free leg:

C to sail Course to Sail: the course to sail for the indicated legof the race, allowing for the current. If the leg is not a

free leg then optimum or target values are used to

calculate the courses for each tack or gybe.

Track direction of the track which the boat makes over the

ground if sailed on the above course.


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What If?

3.13

Est VS Estimated Boat Speed; this is a speed through thewater.

AS Estimated Apparent Wind Speed.

AA Estimated Apparent Wind Angle.

TS Estimated True Wind Speed.

TA Estimated True Wind Angle.

Dist Distance to the laylines if the leg is not free; elseblank.

Time Time to the mark, or to the laylines if the leg is not

free.


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3.14

PlanningThis is Deckmans optimum route finding program. Planning will give

you the quickest route between the two selected marks, given any windand tide informationsee Figure 3.6 in which the optimum route is

shown in heavy black, along with arrows representing the current at

each point.

Note. Deckman will route around any land that lies in the way.

Deckman uses the background chart colour to determine where the land

is, so before you choose the do isochrones command, you must zoom sothat all of the legs of the course for which you want to plan are visible.

Figure 3.6


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Planning

3.15

Selecting menu> planning>setup plan allows you to prepare thevariables for the Planning calculation, i.e. select the leg of the course,the start time, wind information and so on (see Figure 3.7 below).

At the top of the window is a box where you can select the leg of the

course on which you wish to run the planclick on the arrow to the

right of the presently selected leg to be given a list to choose from (asDeckman assumes all routes to start and finish in the same place, the last

option may not be relevant). Click on reset to calculate from boat to

mark for the present leg. The Route to finish check box makes

Deckman run through the routing calculations for all the legs of the

present course.

In Which Wind? you can choose between GRIB wind forecasts (where

you will be prompted to select the correct file; see Chapter 11 for more

Figure 3.7


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3.16

Figure 3.8

information on these) or a wind table in which you must predict wind

direction and strength at particular times, as shown in Figure 3.8.

Similarly, in Which Current? choose what source of current data you

wish to use: Deckman's own tidal database, current GRIBs or your own

predictions. An additional option will appear if the Local Knowledge

server is enabled.

When entering information in the wind or current tables, the following

applies: times of predictions should be entered in hours and minutes. If a

prediction is 24 hours or more after the previous one, the time must bepreceded by a number equal to the number of complete 24 hour periods

that have passed since the last entry. Clicking on a value allows you to

change it; clicking in the left hand column followed by insert allows you

to add new entries. Note that if these tables contain only one entry then

the values will be used at all times; if two or more entries exist,

Deckman will interpolate between the values, and the times must cover

the whole range of time for which you are planning.


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Planning

3.17

Figure 3.9

Note If using Deckman tidal database this then please see Tides on page

3.21). If using GRIB forecasts, please see Part 2, Chapter 9.

Selecting configure from the bottom of the window allows you to setfurther variablessee Figure 3.9. In initial course fan you can adjust

the limits, frequency and number of possible initial course headings to

be tried. The left hand side of the fan is automatically set to fifteen

degrees left of the bearing between the two marks but can be changed

(for example to include possible tidal benefits outside this range) by

clicking over the value bringing up the numeric keypad. If the leg islikely to involve tacking or gybing, then the left hand edge should be set

to a value at least half your tacking or gybing angle to the left of thecourse. Starting from this course bearing Planning will calculate the

route for all the bearings at intervals equal to the value set in angle

between steps in fan and will do the number of calculations set in

number of steps in fan. This should be set so that the Planning

calculation goes to a bearing that is at least as far to the right of the

course to the mark as the start of the fan is to the left.

Below this you are given the option of setting the date and time of thestart of the Planning calculations. You can also select the time interval

between steps of the plan and the number of these time steps. Make sure


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3.18

that the time interval between steps multiplied by the number of steps

gives a time that is at least what you expect the leg to take. Obviously,

for longer races the time between steps should be greater; trying to seetoo many different options at once merely makes things more confusing,

not less so!

Once you have setup your plan choose menu>planning>do isochrones.

You will then see Deckman draw all possible routes, with the optimum

shown in red (heavy black line in Figure 3.6). You can then choose to

view any or all of wind, current and isochrones by clicking on thefollowing icons on the tool bar.

Show windlines point into the wind

Show current

Show isochrones

Show animation see Animationbelow

edit GRIBs

setupreturns you to the Setup menu to change variables

Once you have a plan in place menu>planning>optimum details

allows you to view conditions at each time interval during the leg (note

that the time column here shows you both the day of the month and the

time).

Any number of plans can, and should, be tried to see how the optimumroute would change in various different conditions. Then a decision can

be made as to the most likely and a route chosen to match.


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Planning

3.19

Figure 3.10

Animation

Clicking the animation icon on the tool bar allows you to move along

the route and view how the wind or current will change with time. InFigure 3.10, you can see that in the bottom left corner, the date and time

the display is illustrating can be seen. The two buttons to the right of this

give you the option of viewing either current or wind (usual symbols,

see above). Three further buttons allow you a choice of what types of

vectors are used: always the arrows point in the direction of flow. For

the two arrows (left and middle), the size of the tip is proportional to thespeed; for the feathered pointers the number of feathers indicates the

ratefor wind one is equivalent to five knots, for tide one equals 1 knot.

For each, half feathers represent half the value.


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3.20

Edit MarksThe facilities for entering new waypoint sectors and waypoints

described in this section are general purpose facilities intended for raceor passage preparation. To make changes or additions to the waypoint

list choose menu>waypoints>edit waypoints; you will see the Edit

Marks window appear, as shown in Figure 3.11. The commands in the

top right of this window are for editing waypoint areas; those at the

bottom left refer to the actual waypoints.

To change the name of an area choose rename when it is selected; youwill then be prompted to enter a new sector name. Similarly, to add a

new sector choose new and then enter the name.

If you have used the quick route method to create a set of waypoints you

may rename the qkroute area to your own area name. Deckman will

automatically create a new qkroute area next time the quick route

facility is used.

Figure 3.11


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Tides

3.21

Figure 3.12

To edit a waypointeither name, short name, latitude or longitude

simply click in the box where you wish to make the change and then use

the computer's keyboard. To enter a new waypoint click in the left handcolumn (the cursor will change to an arrow) on the row where you want

to insert the new waypoint and then clicknew from the bottom left of

the window. A new waypoint with the name 't' will be created; edit name

or position as above. Names and positions can also be cut and pasted in

the same way.

Note. Positions are in the form: degrees, minutes and decimals ofminutes. As always, positive values are North and East; negative are

South and West.

TidesTo use the tidal facility in an area that Deckmans tidal information

covers, you have to enter the high water times and heights for the ports

near to the area you are sailing in.

Select menu>planning>edit HW

and the dialog shown in Figure

3.12 will appear.

Put the date of the first high water

you enter in the date box. Toenter times and heights click over

the value you wish to change and

use the computer's keyboard (not

the numeric keypad here). To

insert additional entries, either

between or after those already

there, click in the left handcolumn (headed HW , where you

will see the cursor change to an

arrow) at the position you wish to

make the entry and then choosenew. You can also cut and paste the entries by selecting them in the LHcolumn.


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3.22

SHOM tidal information

The SHOM data is split into nine different areas; you will need to obtain

the relevant files and release codes from your agent or B&G Ltd beforeuse. The SHOM areas and relevant HW ports are as follows:

Name Areas covered HW ports

49 29 - 49 48 N / 1 46 - 1 03W Cherbourg

49 38.5 49 40.8 N / 1 41.25 - 1 34 W Cherbourg

BaieDe

Seine

49 16 - 49 47.7 N / 0 19 W - 0 14 E Le Havre

48 36 - 49 09 N / 4 20 - 3 03 W Roscoff48 35 - 48 58 N / 3 44 - 3 21 W Roscoff

48 48 - 48 51.5 N / 3 29 - 3 22.5 W Roscoff

48 45.7 - 48 46.6 N / 3 36.4 - 3 34.5 W Roscoff

48 37 - 48 46 N / 3 59 - 3 50 W Roscoff

48 42.5 - 48 46.5 N / 4 05 - 3 56 W Roscoff

48 43.4 - 48 43.9 N / 3 59 - 3 58 W Roscoff

BretagneNord

48 43 - 48 43.6 N / 3 58.1 - 3 57.01 W Roscoff

46 43 - 47 52 N / 4 30 - 1 53 W Concarneau

47 15 - 47 34.5 N / 3 21 - 2 38 W Port Navalo

47 31 - 47 46 N / 3 36 - 3 18 W Port Tudy

Bretagne

Sud

47 38 - 47 54.2 N / 4 11 - 3 49 W Concarneau

Gascogne 42 49 - 48 30 N / 7 30 - 0 45 W Concarneau

47 45 - 48 46 N / 5 18 - 4 16 W Brest48 16 - 48 34 N / 5 09 - 4 38 W Brest

48 00 - 48 50 N / 4 53 - 4 39 W Brest

Iroise

48 16 - 48 24 N / 4 39 - 4 14 W Brest

48 00 - 51 53 N / 7 00 W - 3 00 E CherbourgLaManche

49 14 - 50 10.7 N / 1 45 W - 0 24 E Cherbourg

Normand 48 30 - 50 18 N / 3 10 - 1 20 W St Malo


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Tides

3.23

49 32 - 49 47 N / 2 20.14 - 1 44 W St Malo

49 21 - 49 30.4 N / 2 34 - 2 14.12 W St Malo

49 05 - 49 14 N / 2 13 - 1 54 W St Malo

48 47 - 49 28.5 N / 2 01 - 1 32 W St Malo

48 37.2 - 48 45.2 N / 2 19.5 - 1 45 W St Malo

48 31.4 - 48 42 N / 2 51 - 2 25.3 W St Malo

Breton

48 45.5 - 49 06.5 N / 3 06 - 2 46.3 W Paimpol

50 37 - 51 12 N / 1 00 - 2 25 E Calais

50 43 - 50 49 N / 1 29 - 1 40 E Calais

50 56 - 51 01 N / 1 43 - 1 54 E Calais

PasDeCala

is

51 01 - 51 06 N / 2 05 - 2 26 E Calais

45 15 - 47 20 N / 3 00 - 1 00 W Les Sables

d'Olonne

45 25 - 46 26.74 N / 1 42 - 1 02 W La Rochelle

46 04.73 - 46 10.8 N/ 1 19.21 - 1 06.4W La Rochelle

46 52 - 47 20 N / 2 52.67 - 1 58 W SaintNazaire

Vendee

Gironde

45 25 - 45 45 N / 1 38 - 1 00 W Pointe DeGrave

Ensuring Deckman is not running, place the relevant file in c:\programfiles\BandG\deckman\data directory (where c:\program

files\BandG\deckman\) is where you installed the program. The file will

be called SHOM followed by the name of the area. Start Deckman and

you will be prompted for a 16-digit code.

You can then use the data for the SHOM areas which you have enabledin your planning calculations and so on by entering the times and

heights of high water for the relevant ports.


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3.24

Tidal currents layer

This allows you to view the predicted tidal currents for a particular area

and time on your chart. To use this function, first enter the times andheights of high water in the Edit High Water dialog; now click

menu>layers>general then click the Dn button to scroll to the bottom

of the list where you will find tidal currents click on this to select

followed by OK. A number of buttons will appear at the bottom of thescreen and possibly some arrows on the navigation display.

The large button in the middle shows the date and time click in this

and enter a new date and time (in the form yymmdd for date and

hhmmss for time) on the keypad. You will now see arrows representingtidal current overlaid on the navigation display. You have a choice of

arrow types, which is controlled by the three buttons on the bottom leftcorner. For the two arrows (left and middle), the size of the tip is

proportional to the speed; for the feathered pointers the number of

feathers indicates the rate one equals 1 knot.

This tidal currents layer can be animated from the start time, and there

are a number of buttons to allow you to control this to the left of the box

where you entered the start time.

The box immediately to the right of the date/time box shows you the

tidal current rate/direction at the position of the cursor. Note that this

does not operate when the animation is running.

The Options button brings up a dialog which gives you some additional

controls and information about the tidal currents layer. At the top of this

dialog, the Choose button allows you to control the colours used on the

display. The colours defined in Custom Colors are used by Deckman toshow changes in current rate, with each colour representing 0.5 of a knot

of current. The Scale box allows you to control the size of the

arrows/tufts. The density box allows you control how many arrows you

have across your display in each direction (i.e. entering 20 here will give

you a 20 by 20 grid of arrow representing the tidal current).

At the bottom of the Options dialogue there is also a drop down list

showing the reference ports used by the area of the chart currently being


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Navigation options

3.25

displayed. This is an easy way to check you have entered tidal

information for all the reference ports you might need.

Navigation optionsYou have a number of options as to the sources of data you use for your

navigation functions in Deckman, such as variation, current/tide, boat

position and so on. Hit menu>view>options and you will be presented

with the dialog shown in Figure 3.13.

Variation is the magnetic variation for your area in the form dd.d.

Preceding the number with a minus sign will set it to West, a positive

Figure 3.13


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3.26

number is variation to the East. Deckman will automatically calculate

variation based on your time and position based upon the world

magnetic model so you should never really need to change this.

Bearings can be set to TRUE or MAGNETIC so that all bearings,

laylines etc are displayed accordingly. This can be extremely useful in

areas of the globe where variation changes rapidly such as the Southern

Ocean.

TideYou have a choice of different sources of tidal information in Deckman:

Manual

This is simply a manually entered current rate and direction these are

set in the current rate and direction boxes at the top of the Navigation

options window. This might be a particularly useful if you have just

noticed the current on a buoy as you sailed by.

Measured

Every 2 seconds, Deckman compares the GPS position with the deadreckoned (DR) position, with the difference being due to current effects(and, possibly, calibration errors). The difference is then termed the

measured current. This value is then averaged over a time period set in

the Current update time box.

Diamond

Another current which Deckman is constantly updating is referred to as

the diamond current: this is calculated every 10 seconds from the tidal

database if the database doesn't cover your area then the calculatedvalues are zero. All the information is controlled by entering times and

heights of high water for ports near to where you are sailing, as

described in Edit High Water (see page 3.14).

These values may be more steady than the measured current, but it is

possible that they are also wrong because of the conditions at any

particular time.


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Navigation options

3.27

Deckman has the possibility of using tidal information from SHOM, the

French Hydrographic office. For this you require additional files and

release codes.

If you have the SHOM files, then it is possible that Deckman will have

to choose between this and its own database. This is done on the basis of

the area covered by the tidal chart with smaller areas preferred as they

are assumed to be more accurate.

One thing you need to be aware of if using the SHOM files is that

Deckman makes the selection described above regardless of whether

there are any high water times entered meaning that, if no HW times areentered for the smallest area at a particular location, then no tidal

information will be seen for this area (it will always show 0 for both rate

and direction). You must therefore either ensure that HW times are fully

entered or you can remove the files please see Tide files on page 12.7.

If neither of these sources of tidal data cover your patch then B&G can

create a personal database if you have the necessary information.

LKCSThe Local Knowledge Current Server covers particular areas, mainly in

North America.

Position

The Use Position option gives you a choice of the source of the yachts present latitude and longitude which is used in all the navigational

calculations.

dead rk actually uses the estimated position, which is the

dead reckoning position adjusted for current.

GPS position fixerusually GPS.

When you switch between Simulation mode and normal use, this will

automatically toggle between dead reckoning and GPS. The only time

you should have to change the setting here is if your GPS fails, in which

case you will want to switch to using Deckman in dead reckoning mode.


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3.28

Display options

The following affect only the look of the Navigation window:

Vector scale adjusts the length of the wind vectors

Vector gap sets the gap between the tufts of wind vectors sothat you can see them more clearly.

If your boat does not appear to be in the right position on the chart,entering a GPS offset here (in minutes and decimal minutes) should

help. A positive value will offset North or East; negative moves position

South or West.

Grid layer spacing allows you to set the distance between lines on an

overlaid grid. Grid layer type gives you the following options:

great circles a great circle is drawn from your present

position to the mark, along with lines parallel

and perpendicular to this in great circle

terms.

Latitude circles grid lines follow latitude in one direction,with equidistant points along these connectedin the other direction

Display timeChoosing menu>view>display time allows you to set the track time,

e.g. if set to 15 minutes the boat's track (and associated information) isdisplayed for the previous 15 minutes.

General LayersChoosing menu>layers>general allows you to determine what

information is displayed on the screen. Any of the following can be

selected:

mark laylines shows the laylines from the selected mark

boat laylines displays the yacht's present laylines varying


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General Layers

3.29

with wind, tide and tacking angle.

shoreline Deckman can provide a simple shoreline if chart

coverage for a particular area is poor.

digital chart allows you to see present position against a

chartalmost always left on.

North displays a north arrow in the top left hand

corner of the screen.

Wind shows a tuft of wind arrows at intervals along

the boat's track. The direction of the arrows

indicates the true wind direction and their

lengths indicate true wind speed. Note that thelines point into the wind.

DR track shows the track of the boat calculated from

Dead Reckoning, not including the current.

PF track shows the track of the boat given by the positionfixing system, usually GPS.

Course marks displays the waypoints that are a part of the

course that fall within the geographical

boundaries of the window.other marks displays in the window every mark in the

waypoint file that comes within the

geographical boundaries of the windowsdisplay.

GRIB view ignore this setting (it should remain turned on).

Please see page 9.1 for details of operation of

the GRIB viewer feature.

boat shows the present position of the boat.join

waypoints

connects waypoints for present route by a great

circle

isochrones gives you the option of having the toolbar icons

for Planning displayed at the top of the

Navigation screen. Most useful if left on, butturn off to remove isochrones when you have

finished using Planning.


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3.30

grid layers displays grid layers.

course line two lines will be displayed when this is turned

on: the solid line shows the course over groundas read from the GPS; the dashed line is the

course through the water (i.e. heading plus

leeway, without the effects of current).

limits laylines lets you see the extent of variation in the mark

laylines for the last fifteen minutes. The

appearance and time interval can be changed asper page 12.6

Competitors shows the positions of your competitors, if thisfeature has been setup as described in Chapter

10.

Chart optionsThough Deckman will work with a wide range of both raster and vector

charts, you are only able to select from one of the following columns:

C-MAP Version

C-Map vector chartsMaptech (BSB), PCX, Reml raster

charts

Euronav Version

Livechart vector chartsARCS raster charts

Maptech (BSB), PCX, Reml raster

charts

These two options work slightly differently in Deckman, so please makesure you refer to the correct section below.

The Deckman display will normally switch between the different loaded

charts automatically depending on the scale and the extent to which you

are zoomed in. However, you may wish to override this automatic

switching and are able to specify Maptech charts to be used in

preference to others. Select menu>charts>use Maptech charts andthen check the Use Maptech charts in preference to others. To turn

this feature off again, repeat the above and clear the box. The Show

Maptech chart outlines function allows you to view the positions of the

loaded Maptech charts without actually using them.


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Chart Layers

3.31

Chart LayersThis is where you can control which layers are turned on or off on your

vector charts. The procedures for C-Map charts and Livecharts areslightly different, so make sure you refer to the correct section below.

C-Map

Select menu>charts>chart settings and you will be presented with a

dialog (see Figure 3.14) which allows you to choose which layers youwish to see shown on your display.

LivechartsNote. The way you turn layers on and off here will depend on your

dongle type.

For an old style, Livechart-only dongle (serial number beginning 1071)

choose menu>layers and then one of the following options:

Figure 3.14


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3.32

Hydrographic shows a dialog with standard hydrographiclayers. Once selected, these remain selected

across all the Livecharts as the charts scale andpositions change.

Livechart shows all of the layers which are available onthe currently loaded Livechart. The layers will

vary from chart to chart. Select layers here for

fine control of layer visibility for a particular

chart.

With the new style dongle (S/N beginning 2071), all chart layers are

turned on or off by choosing menu>charts>chart settings. Layersselected here apply across all charts.

The menu>charts>colour option gives you additional controls over the

appearance of you charts.

Chart interaction

Note. This function applies only to the new style dongle (serial number

beginning 2071). Chart interaction works by turning off the Deckman

navigational layers and giving you access to the additional features of

the charting kit. It is best used by turning it on for a specific reason (for

example to select a particular chart to use) and then turned straight off

again.

Click menu>charts>chart interaction to turn on this feature which

gives you additional controls over your charts. If you now selectmenu>charts you will see the option select chart. Choosing this will

present you with a 'tree list' allowing you to select any installed chart to

view. With chart interaction turned on you can use the left mouse button

to zoom in on a particular chart (by clicking in the coloured boxoutlining it) or zoom out by a scale factor using the right mouse button.

For further information on the functions here choose

gmenu>Help>Chart System Help.


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Zoom

3.33

ZoomSelecting any of the following from the icon baror choosing

menu>zoom and then the required option allows you to alter the scaleof the display:

this leg displays the whole leg from the previous

waypoint to current waypoint.

from boat to

mark

displays the remaining distance from the

yachts position to the buoy.

on boat allows you to view a specified rangearound the boat with the boat in the

centre of the display. The boat will

automatically be re-centred when it has

moved 20% of the distance towards the

edge of the display.

whole route zooms to allow you to see all the

waypoints in the current route

Chart zoom

in

click and drag to select the area to zoom

in on.

Chart zoom

out

click and drag: the present view will be

shrunk into the position of the rectangle.

zoom full

chart/ zoomout

Euronav: zooms to the full extent of the

loaded chart.C-Map: click to zoom out.

Last zoom zooms to the previous scale/area

Next zoom zooms to the next scale/area; will onlywork if the last zoom button has been

used.

Pan allows you to 'move' the chart keeping itat the same scale.

Chart zoom

1:1

when using raster charts (ARCS, BSB,

PCX) this function allows you to zoom to

the scale at which the chart was scanned.


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3.34

Note. Whilst the zoom in, zoom out and pan functions are turned on, the

display will not update (e.g. the yacht's position). However, these

functions will automatically turn themselves off if left inactive for 15seconds.

Special chart views

Images as charts

It is possible to use any .jpg or .gif image instead of a chart as yourbackground in the Navigation window of Deckman. There are a

number of reasons why this might be useful, for example if you do nothave appropriate digital charts for your area or, and especially in long

ocean races, you wish to use specialist weather or tidal charts.

Select menu>charts>use image as chart and then browse to the correct

file, followed by Open. You will then be presented with a dialogreminding you that you must geo-reference your image up to three

times. Geo-referencing is simply telling Deckman which positions on

the image refer to which geographical positions; see below for details on

the process in Deckman. ClickOKand the next dialog you see allows

you to choose the type of projection of your image:

Equidistant meridians are vertical and lines of latitude are

equally spaced

Mercator vertical meridians but lines of latitude spacemore widely towards the poles

Polar

stereographic

meridians are straight lines from poles

usually used for geostationary satellite images

Pick the correct one, followed by OK.

The geo-referencing process then involves entering the latitude andlongitude of known positions on the image. After you have selected the

type of projection above, the cursor will appear as a cross with the

number 1 beside it click at a known position on the image and enter

the lat/long in the dialog (as always in Deckman, North/East are


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Special chart views

3.35

positive, South/West as negative) followed by OK. The number beside

the cursor changes to a 2 and you repeat the above process (possibly

twice more).Note. You are still able to use the zoom in/out tools to increase

accuracy.

Once you have completed geo-referencing (a dialog will pop up telling

you when this is the case), Deckman operates as normal, except that the

only chart you use is the image you have chosen.

To exit this feature and return to normal charting, selectmenu>charts>use image as chart followed by Cancel.

Warp image

This function allows you to manipulate your chart so that a great circle

route is changed from being curved (as usual in Deckman) to being astraight line. This is particularly useful in a long race (and especially

with the Competitors feature see page Chapter 10), as it allows you

to get a proper idea of who is ahead/behind with respect to a certain

waypoint or the finish.

For example, you could convert the image shown in Figure 6.15 to that

in Figure 6.16, in which the great circle route from Lands End to New

York is shown straight.

Select menu>chart>warp image and you will be presented with a

dialog reminding you how this feature operates; click OK. You must

then select two points on the display the first will be shown at the top

of the screen and is the centre of the projection while the second will be

shown directly below it. Before you select the points, hit the gridoptionsbutton (shown left) at the top of the display to choose what grid

lines and spacing you want to have displayed on the warped image: you

can choose to have the grid centred on different points with different

meridian and parallel spacing:

Off No grid

North pole Grid based on the North pole; will be the

same as normal lat/long grid


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3.36

Current waypoint Meridians from the current waypoint, parallellines at equal distance from the current

waypoint.Projected centre Meridians from the projection centre (the

first point you select), parallel lines at equal

distance from the projection.

Note. The spacing units are in degrees and decimals (ddd.dd).

Hint. For meridian spacing, something like 20 is usually appropriate,

since this gives you 18 meridians 20 apart. The parallel spacing

depends very much on how far apart the two points you choose are seebelow.

You then pick two points and the image is warped so that the great circle

route between the two points is represented as straight and the chart isaltered to accommodate this. You cannot zoom out beyond what is

shown on the chart at the time you select warp image so make sure both

points you wish to select are visible. You can zoom in to position them,

however.


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Special chart views

3.37

Think carefully about what you are trying to see from your projection,

and choose the points and grid options accordingly, since it is possible to

get some very useful information from the resulting images. Forexample, on a long race but with the fleet in a close area you may wish

to see who is ahead/behind with respect to the finish. For this you would

have the grid based on the current waypoint (assuming this is the finish)

but then have close parallel spacing, and pick two points at either end of

the fleet.

Figure 3.15

Figure 3.16


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Special chart views

4.1

Chapter 4 : Start display

Deckman incorporates a display for use specifically when starting arace. With the position of the two ends of the start line entered,

Deckman will give you the distance and time to each from the boat's

current position, and will also display the current laylines and line bias.

Clicking on start on the icon bar will give you a starting display as inFigure 4.1; the direction of start is always from the bottom of the

diagram to the top, so that the port or pin end of the line is to the left and

the starboard or committee boat end is on the right. The line above the

start line indicates the present line biasit is drawn from whichever endof the line is favoured, the port end in the diagram. The pairs of lines

drawn from each end of the line are the laylines.

Fi ure 4.1


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Chapter 4: Start display

4.2

Start informationThe Start display contains a Data bar similar to that in the main

Navigation where you can view any data variables you choose. Whenthe Start display is open, select menu>Databar to toggle this on or off.

This data bar then operates in exactly the same way as the Navigation

data bar (see page 1.1 for details).

At the top of the display in the centre are two numbers: the one on top

shows the perpendicular distance from the bow to the line (in the

presently selected units, metres or boat lengths, see below) whilst

underneath is shown the countdown to the start. The other numbers at

the top of the display show (from left to right) distance and time: to theport end of the line, to the intersection of the start line with a starboard

tack layline drawn from the boat's present position, to the intersection of

the start line with a port tack layline drawn from the boat and to the

starboard end of the line.

The figures at the bottom of the display show the following:

LL Bearing down the left layline, adjusted for current

LineWD line wind direction, i.e. the wind direction required

for the line to be neutral

BiasG the distance in the presently selected units (see

below) which the line bias is worth

BiasA

hb 0914 02 (deckman manual)

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